The present invention relates to glove liners which are formed of material resistant to heat and which provide protection against cutting or puncturing of the hand. More particularly, the present invention relates to glove liners for use by firefighters and industrial workers who come in contact with high temperatures.
Protective gloves are well known in the art for protecting hands from adverse conditions. Many firefighters resort to conventional gloves to assist them in gripping articles and the like while relying on their gloves to protect their hands from injury. However, many conventional gloves are inadequate in conditions of high temperature. In order to provide more protection to the firefighters, various gloves have been devised which provide some means of heat protection and cut protection. One such glove is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,582 which provides a hand covering in the form of a glove which is waterproof and provides protection against cutting, puncturing, and lacerations as well as thermal insulation for protection against burning of the user""s hand when grasping hot objects. A raised silicon pattern is formed on the palm portion of the glove to enhance the heat insulating and gripping abilities of the hand covering. Other such gloves are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,035,444 and 5,822,796.
Other types of protective hand covering are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,454,611 and 4,433,439. The 439 patent reveals a heat resistant protective glove having first and second shells formed from a temperature resistant aromatic polyamide fiber with the first shell section being made of a twill weave fabric and the second shell being made of a knitted fabric. A liner is formed of two sections, both of which are formed of a felt fabric of a temperature resistant aromatic polyamide fiber with the section forming the palm being provided with a flame resistant elastomeric coating. The 611 patent teaches of a heat resistant protective hand covering having a fabric shell made of a temperature resistant aromatic polyamide fiber. The outer surface of the shell is coated with a fire resistant elastomer. A liner made of felt fabric of a temperature resistant aromatic polyamide fiber is disposed within and secured to the shell. A friction inducing surface is formed by waffling or dimpling the palm side of the glove by incorporating small particles of insoluble material which will cause an irregular surface on a coating.
Each of these gloves is worn by the firefighter when fighting a fire. However, in order to provide the protection required by the firefighters, these gloves are generally made in such a way which restricts the firefighter""s motion in his hands. As firefighters must be able to manipulate various objects in a burning building, the loss of mobility must be minimized.
The present invention is directed to a glove liner which can be used in harsh environments to protect the user""s hand from cuts and burns. In so doing, the liners of the present invention are made in two layers, with each layer performing a particular function. The inner layer is made from heat resistant material which will protect the user""s hand from being burned in harsh environments. The outer layer is made from material which is cut resistant thereby preventing the user""s hand from being cut or punctured and also preventing the heat resistant layer from being damaged. The liner is manufactured in such a manner as to provide the firefighter with maximum agility and mobility in his hand. In other words, the liner does not prevent the firefighter or worker from performing any task required of him/her.
The liner also protects the user in environments where the liner is not fully effective. In extremely harsh environments, it is conceivable that the user""s hand may be burned. In such instances, the design of the liner allows the outer glove to be removed from the user""s hand without damaging the skin of the user. The liner is maintained intact on the user""s hand so that no skin will be removed by the removal of the outer glove. The liner is configured to allow the hand and the liner to be submersed in a solution until the user is transported to a hospital where proper medical procedures can be employed.